Notes from the Ballincollig-Carrigaline Municipal District meeting, 17-07-2017
1. Election of Cathaoirleach
Cllr Mary Rose Desmond was unanimously elected as Chair.
Cllr John Collins was unanimously elected as Vice-Chair.
Tributes were extended to Cllr Canty for his year as Chair.
2. Confirmation of Minutes
To consider the confirmation and signing of the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 19thJune 2017
Proposed Cllr D’Alton. Seconded Cllr McGrath.
Matters arising:
Cllr McGrath asked for an update on the Raffeen bollards. Are we going to put a barrier there to replace the bollards?
AE: They were put in as a short-term measure after a truck went off the road there a few years ago. They were never taken away and the damage has not been repaired. They do intend to do so.
Cllr McGrath: Thanks for getting hedge cut at Carrig na Curra junction. It is cut from the Shannonpark side but not from the Carrigaline side. Also has noticed that the junctions generally have been cut and thanks for that.
Cllr D’Alton: Bollards were put against a collapsed wall in Passage West to perform a similar function. In this case, the wall is private. It has since been fixed and the bollards are lying on the other side of the road. The Council might like to collect them.
Cllr D’Alton asks whether Dock Terrace has yet been added to the Derelict Sites List.
Acting MDO (Margaret): Doyles have been written to but there is no response yet from them. It is normal procedure to write to the owner before putting something on the Derelict Sites list.
Cllr D’Alton asks how long one would normally wait to get a response. Margaret will check this out and revert.
Cllr Muprhy said it has been reported to him that there is dumping over the back walls of those houses. Margaret said this might be an environmental health issue. She said she will follow it up and report back.
Cllr Collins: The Area Office is doing a lot of work on cutting back hedges generally. This highlights the fact that landowners are not doing their bit to keep their hedges cut back. Are we following up on this?
AE: We are not in a position to follow up on everything but we do try when we can to let landowners know of their responsibilities.
3. Consideration of Reports and Recommendations
(i) Derelict Sites Report – Ballincollig/Carrigaline Municipal District
Cllr D’Alton asked what property was taken off the list and what works were done to have it taken off. Margaret said she would check up and revert back.
(ii) Schedule of Municipal Works – Expenditure Report as at 30th June 2017
‘Expenditure Report as at 30th June 2017.pdf’
‘Expenditure note for Members July 2017.pdf’
Cllr D’Alton said that she would ask about graveyards later because it is being brought up as a motion. She asked if the AE had checked up on the additional budget allocated to Coastal Protection in this Municipal District. Had asked that we would devise a programme of slip cleaning. The sailing courses are on now, so the slips are at their maximum usage but we have spent very little of the Coastal Protection budget to date.
AE: One of the engineers in Carrigaline has been dealing with slip management. Some works have been done in relation to cleaning. Doesn’t know where we are at today. There was some funding relating to repair works on the Monkstown slip that Cllr D’Alton had highlighted. Clarifies that this budget is going primarily on the maintenance of slips.
Cllr McGrath: At a recent CPG meeting, a number of Members were commenting on the reduction in staff numbers and the loss of the Gateway scheme. It is being felt across the county in relation to getting simple tasks done. Issues like presentation of our open spaces, etc. are an issue. Have already discussed with AE how things are taking longer to get done through the Area Office. Fully understands that it is down to resources. Unless we raise the issue it is not going to change. Is asking that we as a Municipal District would raise the issue with the CE directly. I pursued this when I was mayor – a lack of priority given to outdoor activities. The Area Offices are stretched beyond belief. The resources aren’t there to deal with the issues we bring to them. There will be a budget passed in November. Is asking that we raise this as a Municipal District. What we ask the Area Office to do are simple tasks but they all add up.
Cllr Forde: A few years ago there was just the AE and the outdoor workers. Now there are many more engineers but the Area Office is under resourced in some critical areas. We’re not whinging but thinks we need to put down a motion to Council before the allocation of capital monies. The Area Offices are the most important level of Council. If the people are satisfied with what we’re doing on the ground, our job is half done. The Area Office is the most critical foundation stone of local democracy.
Cllr Canty: This has been an old chestnut over the years. Our men on the van will leave the yard and go bin collecting, clearing bags, etc. We don’t have people for other jobs then. There were three staff erecting lovely railings last week so their other jobs went on hold. We have to get outside contractors to do everything because our outdoor staff aren’t available to do it. Two or three extra people per office would do an awful lot. We need the visibility of people seeing us out there. People say what are we paying property tax for.
Cllr Jeffers: Supports too. SF has been calling for extra staff to be employed for a long time. Our belief is that staffing levels are at crisis point. I have a motion in at full Council about this. Thinks its not financing is the problem any more, it’s lack of staff. The average age of our grouping of outdoor staff at Municipal District level is 54. This is a dangerous age for outdoor working.
Cllr D’Alton: Agrees also. Is always amazed by the volume of work the Area Office gets through with the limited resources it has. There has been a particular amount of work done lately. But knows there are major pressures. We at Tidy Towns know we are doing more and more of the jobs the Area Office should really be doing. We’re happy to do it to see it done but during last week, the water tower was so full of bags from our clearance that we couldn’t get our tools back in. The Area Office dealt with the emergency when I contacted them, but no doubt but that more workers would help.
Cllr Desmond: What is done is a testament to the Area Office but there are demands there. It is timely that Cllr McGrath has brought this up. We have to agree how and where we bring it on from here.
AE: Would welcome an increase in staff in the morning and it would enable us to get through a lot more work. But wouldn’t like people to get unrealistic expectations either. Appreciates fully that there is a level of frustration out there. Requests come in and it takes a long time for us to get back. We have 10 public reps, 2 Dail constituencies, a public that bypass public reps. The time involved in getting out to examine an incident and get a report done on top of the day job of organising contracts, etc. is huge. There is a huge volume of work and if there were more resources on the ground it would be better. But resources have to be paid for and it is above my pay grade to decide how that should be done. If the resources are available and we don’t have the budget to carry out the works, that’s no good either. These are not my decisions. There are a lot of works going on in the area that the Members would have no involvement in but that take huge administrative resources also. We are constantly under pressure and would be delighted to have extra staff resources in the morning. We all want to get the work done.
Cllr McGrath: We’re under pressure ourselves today – appreciates the support from the Members. Area Offices generally are under-resourced. Have been saying this for some time. They are the ones that give the perception of how the Council is providing services. Suggests we send a letter to the CE now. Is happy to forward it as a motion. We need to be careful of the wording.
Agreed Cllr McGrath would draft the motion, send it to Sarah and Sarah would circulate to the Members. Will be on the full Council agenda for September.
Cllr Forde suggests that if this isn’t successful, we should look at the proposal that there should be a spreadsheet of all the motions put down to date, of the actions taken and when the actions on those are taken. It is hard to keep track of motions and they fall off.
4. Correspondence
(i) Correspondence from TII – Ringaskiddy Playground Pedestrian Crossing N28.
‘Correspondence from TII – pedestrian crossing Ringaskiddy.pdf’
Cllr D’Alton said she raised this initially and doesn’t want to incur pointless letter-writing on behalf of the MDO but this response isn’t good enough. Doesn’t know what more she can do. She’s even done a traffic and pedestrian count. Has demonstrated that they meet TII’s own criteria for a pedestrian crossing. Invites the members to make suggestions as to what to do next.
We agreed to write to the CRDO and ask that they would come to a meeting.
(ii) Correspondence from Irish Water – Water Outages, Carrigaline
‘Email from Irish Water – Outages Carrigaline.pdf’
Cllr MCGrath: Doesn’t want to play ping pong with letters either but wonders if through the MD we could escalate this past the public reps desk in Irish Water to a manager of some sort? Very frustrating and will continue.
Cllr Jeffers: Knows Cllr McGrath has been really pushing this. Commends him for that. Supports. The Irish Water response is not good enough. The water main has broken 4 – 5 times in the space of one month.
Cllr Desmond: Supports too. We’re not responsible for the response we got but acknowledges that this response this is not good enough.
Agreed that we would write to the Chief Executive of Irish Water.
(iii) Correspondence from Denis Naughten, T.D., Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment – Election Posters
‘Email from Minister Denis Naughten – Election Posters.pdf’
Cllr D’Alton: I pushed this on foot of a motion from Cllr O’Donnabhain. Would love to see a ban on election posters across the county but thinks that the letter written back by the Minister is a good one. He put effort in. He refers to a survey done in 2008. Looked it up. This was done by John Gormley when he was minister. It asked local authority members if they would agree to limit the number of posters per candidate. The responses he got were so strong that unless I get support from the members to take this further, I am going no further with it.
There was no support offered!
5. Disposal of Property
To consider the disposal of freehold interest at 3 Congress Place, Monkstown, Co. Cork to property owner Leona Beale for the consideration of €350.00 inclusive of administration charges.
As read.
6. GMA/TDF
‘TDF July 2017.pdf’
‘Festival Report.pdf’
The MD had circulated an update about the TDF, specifically in relation to the proposed Music in Community festival in Ballincollig.
Cllr D’Alton: We supported the Music in Community festival before. Was concerned then that we were giving it a lot of money and we said we would review before we gave again. Now we have been asked to support the Wellbeing festival in the Regional Park too. Is concerned that we would be giving significant support to two festivals in Ballincollig and nothing similar elsewhere.
Cllr Canty: The Music in Community group are after falling short this year. It costs about €20k to put on the festival. We said we’d give €3k towards it at one stage. They have spoken to the MDO, etc. and because they are short of money, they are instead proposing gigs in small venues around the town. That’s not what we said we’d support. The MDO is talking about transferring the money to the Wellbeing festival. The Wellbeing festival has said that it will move around after it happens in Ballincollig. They too are looking for funding.
Cllr Forde: The Laya outdoor events are hugely well attended. Even if the weather isn’t good, people will go. Thinks we should support the wellbeing festival.
Cllr McGrath: Agrees that we should give some money to the wellbeing festival.
Cllr Desmond agrees that the Laya days are brilliant. Good that they are coming to us first. All agreed unanimously that we would move the €3k to the fitness and wellbeing festival.
7. Notices of Motion
To consider the following Notices of Motion in the name of:
Cllr. D O’Donnabhain
- “That this Municipal District requires Cork County Council, together with any other statutory bodies necessary to engage with one another and to do all necessary to ensure that the Poulavone Roundabout is resurfaced forthwith.”
- “That this Municipal District requires an immediate cancellation of the contract entered into with the line painting contractor for the Ballincollig/Carrigaline Municipal District. Further, that the Municipal District not retain this contractor into the future.”
Cllr O Donnabhain is not present.
Cllr. D Forde
- “That the Engineer reports on when a footpath can be installed on Rochestown Road between Rochestown Rise and Maryborough estate.”
Cllr Forde: A great job was done in putting in the footpath from Maryborough to the Fingerpost. Would personally have liked the money to have been spent on footpaths in estates. Now other residents on the Rochestown Road are looking for an infill footpath connecting Rochestown Rise to Maryborough Estate.
AE: It was you put the footpath on the Rochestown Road with the excess from the GMA! My budget for footpaths will do only those in estates. I doubt that I would have the budget to do this. We get a footpath budget and couldn’t have done the Rochestown Road work out of that budget. We could do it only because money came from the TDF. Should the same happen again, I’m not sure that I would prioritise that area or that the type of money that would be involved would become available. It is a longer stretch, is linking up house entrances, there would be a possible need for land transfer. It is a big project and this iis possibly why it was not done to date. There is a footpath on the other side of the road; there are crossing points. There are alternatives and pedestrians are not at risk. I have to allocate the year by year footpath money to estates where footpaths are falling apart. If relevant development charges become available, this stretch of footpath will be considered. Works done on the Rochestown road to date have come from the specific improvement grant. This grant stream no longer available.
Cllr Forde: Is there a commitment to have a footpath everywhere within a 30 kph zone?
AE: I’m not aware of it. It is a 50 kph zone. But it is served by footpaths; facilities are provided for pedestrians.
Cllr Forde: There are only 7 houses there and facilities across the road where the footpath on the Rochestown Road was replaced. So one can’t use that argument either!
AE: The inside of that footpath is an old stone wall. Vehicular traffic could drive up on the existing footpath because it had sunk to level with the road. There was nothing protecting traffic if a car went up on it from crashing into the wall. So this was a much higher priority from a safety point of view.
Cllr. S McGrath
- “That the Council consider measures to deter HGV’s using the Grotto road (between Coolmore & Village) in Shanbally.”
Cllr McGrath: There are a large number of companies towards the Currabinny direction and some of the heavy vehicles use this road. This road gets a huge volume of traffic anyway. Would signage help? There are residential houses along the road and no footpath between Coolmore Cross and the grotto.
AE: There are already signs on the regional road between Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy telling people not to use the road. These should prevent them from turning up at Coolmore. We could investigate putting signs on the road. Imagines the bulk of HGVs using the road are oil lorries, refuse trucks, etc. who will have to use the road anyway. Existing signage isn’t having an impact.
It was agreed that they would put a sign up at Shanbally itself. AE cautions that a lot of HGVs would have to travel the road for local servicing anyway.
- “To request that the Engineer consider providing a footpath on the northern part of Fairy Hill, Monkstown.”
Cllr McGrath: Thinks Cllr D’Alton must have been in contact with the same person! The footpath goes as far as the school. It doesn’t go up to Carrigmahon where the estate is. Diamond Hill doesn’t have a footpath either. We have commented before on connectivity. Is flagging it in terms of the footpath programme although accepts it is probably too late to be done this year.
Cllr D’Alton: This stretch of road is connecting to the school and that is the problem. There are deep drains on one side, overgrowth on the other, an almost 90 degree bend and when a car or a jeep is going down the road and they meet a child walking up against them on the road, it is lethal. There have been several planning applications for ground behind the Carrigmahon estate and perhaps planning contributions from this could be used. The Area Office tends to try to build 1.5m footpaths but even if this were a narrower footpath it would improve safety. Appreciates it wouldn’t be an easy one with the drains and the gradient.
AE: The sufficient road width isn’t there to put in a proper footpath. We did work on the drainage issues last year. If we were to have the money in the morning, would rather spend the money in areas where the footpaths that we have are deteriorating and disintegrating. A footpath on that side will mean getting rid of the existing roadside drainage. You would have to put in a storm sewerage system to replace it. You would have to do accommodation works along all the houses. Even if sufficient width was there, can’t see development contributions paying for it. It would be too expensive. Doesn’t think we can do it.
Cllr McGrath: How we do we provide footpaths were there isn’t a footpath. Our footpath money is necessary to repair what we’ve got.
Cllr D’Alton: Does our footpath repair budget come from the revenue budget or the capital budget? Could we not make an argument that if they come from the revenue budget, we should be given an annual allocation from the capital budget for new stretches of footpath?
AE: Can see only a few ways to provide a footpath like this. 1) The specific improvement grant but this is now gone. The Restoration Grant that is there now is very specific as to what it can be used for. 2) As you have suggested, the capital budget could pay for it. 3) Have found recently that Community Involvement Schemes can include footpath works. Would the residents there be willing to contribute financially to a footpath? We do get a Discretionary Maintenance Grant and we can do what we want with this. But the ordinary maintenance requirements from January to December are so huge that whilst I do supplement the footpath budget from it sometimes, I daren’t use too much.
Cllr Desmond: This is very frustrating when you see the level of property tax that is coming from this MD. Couldn’t possibly ask residents to contribute to the cost of installing a footpath. They would be justified in asking where their property tax is going.
We agreed to forward a motion from the MD to full Council asking for money to be put aside in the Capital Budget for new footpaths.
Cllr D’Alton: Could the AE let us know in numbers of zeros how much it might cost to put in a footpath in a location like Fairy Hill. Many of the locations we’ve been asking for new footpaths involve complications like accommodation works and land purchase. So whilst €250,000 might look great in a headline, it will hardly deliver one stretch of path. We need to have a feel for what might be a realistic amount to look for from the Capital Budget.
The AE said she will come back to us to let us know what would be a reasonable allocation.
- “To request that the Council make the footpaths disabled friendly by St. Luke’s school in Douglas.”
AE: There is only one entrance that is not dished. We will sort that. The footpath is actually too narrow for a wheelchair but we can’t make it wider with the footpath that is there.
Cllr. M Murphy
- “That this Municipal District writes to the HSE to ask if the Passage West Health Centre is being relocated to Carrigaline and could we get a response as soon as possible.”
Cllr Murphy: I contacted a member of the HSE. Lady said someone else would contact me. But I didn’t get a call.
Cllr D’Alton: Can clarify without offering an opinion. The current public health centre building is no longer fit for purpose. The HSE intends to move most of the functions of the current public health centre to the new primary care centre in Carrigaline. But they are aware of the need to maintain a basic element of the current service in Passage West and so they are actively seeking alternative premises from which to operate out of. Have spoken to them about this on two occasions and have had written correspondence with them also.
Cllr McGrath: The social welfare office has been moved out of Passage too. Believed the post office was in trouble but have spoken to the proprietor and believes it is now fine. But it would be very difficult if the health centre were to be moved. They may not be genuine about finding alternative premises and there is no bus service to Carrigaline.
Cllr D’Alton: Offering opinion this time as opposed to fact. They are acutely aware of the lack of a bus service between Passage West and Carrigaline and has no reason to doubt that their search for an alternative premises is also genuine. But it may help to write to them as a Municipal District and impress the importance of keeping public health service in Passage West.
It was agreed that we would do this. Cllr D’Alton to forward the contact to the MDO.
Cllr. E Jeffers
- “That the Municipal District would consider the use of funding from the Town Development Fund for the purpose of public realm enhancement in the Togher Road area in conjunction with works taking place during the Douglas/Togher Flood Relief Scheme.”
‘Cllr Jeffers Public Realm Togher.pdf’
Cllr Jeffers: The Development Plan speaks of regeneration for the area. Because there are flood relief works going on there, thinks there would be an opportunity to use funds from the TDF to enhance the area. There is going to be a meeting with the community association and the tidy towns. Welcomes that. Thinks it would be a good idea to do the works while the OPW is doing the work.
Cllr Forde: Supports. When you speak of public realm improvements, I think of statues and trees. You are probably thinking of footpaths, etc. This will not come out of the Area Office budget. There is a huge amount of money spent on the Arts section. Public realm could be incorporating this.
Margaret says the meeting will need to happen first and that Kevin is also suggesting that the TDF would provide targeted initiatives within the main towns. However Togher would not be included in this as it is not a main town.
Cllr Jeffers: The same sort of money was spent from the TDF on a footpath in Rochestown.
Cllr Desmond supports too and thinks we should follow this up at our next Council meeting.
Cllr Harris thinks Togher falls between two stools and badly needs investment.
- “That this Municipal District be given a written report on staffing levels in cemeteries within this Municipal District for the last 8 years. The report should include the number of staff at each cemetery for each year and the different roles.”
Cllr Jeffers: No report back on this. Can’t comment on something I don’t have!
AE: I didn’t do a report on it. Fell between two stools. For as long as I’ve been here, we’ve had 3 staff permanently assigned to an individual cemetery. Outside of that, the maintenance of the other cemeteries are contracted. One is maintained by our own staff.
Cllr Jeffers: Has spoken before about maintenance of Douglas cemetery. This is more about the staffing issue again. Knows the staff do as much as they can. Have we our own staff in St. James’s? Have noticed little things there: rubber straps broken, bits of grass not done. Also this same graveyard, could the gates this be opened so that people could drive in further?
AE: The caretaker will assist in any situation when he is on site. We can’t leave the gate open for many security based reasons. The internal roadway would lend itself to joyriding.
Cllr D’Alton asked what defined whether a graveyard would get a permanent member of staff. Was it on the basis of size alone?
Cllr Harris has had complaints about the condition of the cemetery in Douglas.
AE: The staff in the three cemeteries are a legacy really. Permanent staff were put in these cemeteries because they are our biggest cemeteries. There is a permanent member of staff in the Douglas cemetery. If there are any issues we will deal with them as they arise.
- “That the Engineer would consider road and pedestrian improvements with regards to safety from Scart Cross to the airport roundabout. Such improvements may include road widening, junction improvements, line painting and extension of footpaths.”
Cllr Jeffers thanks for works done to date. Appreciates it would be very difficult to justify resources for a road that isn’t a primary or secondary road. It is a very busy road though and only getting worse with the area continuing to develop. The road narrows by the junction going left to Ballygarvan. Could something be done there? From the airport to Farmer’s Cross is very dangerous too. Knows ditches have been cut recently and that has helped.
AE: We can look at the junctions – you have raised Cooney’s Lane before. It comes back again to capital resources and the justification for spend. You are right – it is a rat run. This is one of the reasons we did the works we did this year. We can’t do much more other than work at junctions. There is a proposal to do works at Farmers Cross which will improve things for pedestrians in that local area. We intend to follow on what has been done to date in improving safety at the bend. There have been issues in the past for traffic coming from Ballygarvan losing control on the bend. Last year the fence was moved back. We’ll do a little extra this year. The footpaths might have to wait until the following year.
Cllr Jeffers: Stresses that point is lethal. If anything was to be looked at, it would be here.
Cllr. M R Desmond
- “To ask that this Municipal District would investigate the possibility of handing over the waste land at the rear of properties in Grange Wood Court or alternatively cut the trees and clear and maintain the area which is completely overgrown.”
Cllr Desmond: This is a historic issue. Some residents tried to take over this in the past. Rats are a problem.
AE: I was asked to clear up the area before because of a lot of dumping that was going on. Would be delighted to see the residents taking it over. There is access from the estate. It would make sense.
Cllr Jeffers supports. Cllr Forde also supports and compliments the area office for the work done there over the years. A lot of the dumping there has been the fault of the residents. Best to chop the overgrowth so there is no cover.
- “To ask that this Municipal District give due consideration to the reduction of green space to allow for necessary parking and safe emergency vehicle access in Grange Way, and Grange Wood Court.”
AE: This was raised by Deputy O Laoghaire when he was in the Chamber in relation to Grange Way. I went to look at it at the time. The green in Grange Way is very large. We went as far as getting a contractor to price it. It didn’t proceed because we didn’t have the resources. We’ll take another look at it. Grange Wood Court is different because the green is tiny. Will investigate.
Cllr McGrath: We’re trying to progress this in the Planning SPC. We’ve all had different motions on this kind of thing over the years. There are instances and practical situations where even going in 1 metre would make a difference.
- To ask the Engineer for an update in relation to the weed spraying on public pathways and public realm in the Municipal District and with particular reference to the Grange Road and the beginning of the Rochestown Road at the Douglas Village end towards Douglas Court Shopping Centre.”
Cllr Desmond: Realised I was doubling up on an issue brought up last month. Weeds are very bad on the relief road too.
AE: We are spraying. We have our own staff spraying. Will look after this if it is not done.
Cllr. M D’Alton
- “That Cork County Council would investigate the feasibility of laying a footpath on Upper Fairy Hill, Monkstown from the top of Carrigmahon Hill to The Orchards.”
Already discussed.
- “That an additional light would be installed close to the Monastery Road/Judge’s Lane junction to increase safety at this dangerous bend.”
Cllr D’Alton described where this is. Residents have asked for even one more light closer to the junction. Thinks it would be technically feasible because there are poles and there is already public lighting along the most dense stretch of housing. When children are walking up the hill from school on winter evenings, etc. it would give them greater visibility at the blind bend.
AE: Will look at this. Unlikely to happen this year.
- “That this Municipal District would provide a full update on the Town and Village Renewal funding awarded to Passage West last year for the production of an Urban Renewal Plan
‘Cllr D’Alton T&V Passage West.pdf’
Cllr D’Alton: Very pleased with the report. We can now begin to progress this with SECAD.
8. Votes of Congratulations
Cllr Murphy: Congratulations to Maeve O’Brien for winning gold and silver medals in the recent karate World Championships.
Cllr D’Alton: Asks that we would send congratulations to the Passage West karate club for all the medal wins rather than to just singling out competitors. So many won medals that we would inevitably leave someone out.
Agreed that we would do this.
Cllr McGrath: Congratulations to Sarah on her recent promotion.
9. Any other business
2017 Public Lighting programme
AE: The annual public lighting budget covers about 50% of what we’re providing. Funding sources are from lots of other areas too. This is the 2017 programme. Based on this and other areas, it is likely that it will go into 2018 before it is completed.
Cllr Forde: Pleased with this.
Cllr McGrath: Welcome. It is late in the year that this news is coming. It will be half way through the winter before these are in place. What causes this delay? There are two big schemes and lots of smaller ones. It is good to do it this way. What about the playground in Carrigaline? We passed on a survey from parents in Carrigaline to the Council. They went to efforts to do this and it was quite balanced. On Sunday morning it was quite bad again. We have to try to address the issue. Is public lighting an option? Saw in another playground some signage saying people are not allowed there after dark. Would we pass a bye-law to that effect?
Cllr Harris: Thanks for report.
Cllr Murphy: Cost of Rockenham light is very high. Why?
AE: Some lights are more expensive to provide than others if there isn’t another light close or if there isn’t an available pole.
Cllr D’Alton: Delighted with the report, especially the provision of lighting from Gobby Beach to Ringaskiddy. This will make a real difference.
AOB:
Cllr Forde: Briars/weeds – one on Grange Road by Shamrock Lawn and one on Donnybrook Hill. They asked if someone could be sent out to tidy up the area. She will send them on to AE.
Cllr Jeffers: East Douglas Village – the place was destroyed with rubbish from a local eatery. Every bin was full. Crows tearing it out of the bins. There has to be an onus on the local businesses to show responsibility. Could we do something about this?
Also there is an anti-dumping initiative from the Department. €650k was allocated last year and again this year. Cllr Murphy has a motion about this in at full Council which had to be deferred. Some MDs have applied for funding. Thinks we should be too. Gives funding for extra bins, cameras, drones, etc.
AE: Applications for this are probably managed through the environment section. Possibly is coming down to the anti-litter unit and their resources. Would love to think there was a source of funding for this. We are well aware of that problem from that particular eatery. He has told me in the last month that he will make sure the bins are not overflowing. Spoke to him about two weeks ago.
Cllr Harris: Thinks we should be taking much more action on the playground in Carrigaline. We don’t have anything like that in the park in Douglas and it makes a huge difference. Something needs to be done pretty fast there.
AE: A few years ago Douglas had its problems too. It is helped in Douglas because the Community Association staff open and close the gates of the park. If I could do something in Carrigaline, I’d be doing it. The gardai are aware of it. There is some element of CCTV in the area and they have been looking at it.
Cllr D’Alton: Concurs with Cllr Jeffers on the litter from take-aways. Very bad at the moment. It is a problem that pizza boxes won’t fit into the litter bins with the small round holes. We provide those to deter household dumping. Can’t think of anything we can do directly but is sick of the rubbish.
Understands there is subsidence in the playground in Passage West arising from the Irish Water works. There was subsidence on the park side from the previous Irish Water works. At the time, the MDO had just put a new surface on the playground and it was looking really well. The subsidence followed just afterwards and it was never fixed properly. The cracks were just sealed. It has never been the same and has had several complaints about children falling on it. It is not acceptable that the subsidence on the water side would be dealt with in the same way as that on the park side. Absolutely not ok.
AE: There will be a requirement on the contractor to put this right. The contractor this time is different from the contractor the last time. Will follow up on this with Irish Water and on the previous damage too.
Cllr McGrath: Has spoken about it before, but bollards are missing at the Tesco entrance to the Community Park. Cars are now parking at the entrance.
AE: We have the bollards but just haven’t installed them. That was one of those jobs that just didn’t get done.
Cllr Harris: The limestone blocks on the Tesco side of that entrance are not out on the edge of the footpath and so people are parking on the road side of them. Could they be moved out?
AE: Those blocks mark the extent of the private ground belonging to the shopping centre. Accepts that they would work better if they were closer to the road.
A discussion followed about the desirability to upgrade this uncontrolled pedestrian crossing.
Cllr Murphy asked why the road markings in Passage West have not been refreshed.
AE says that she had explained before that they will be done when Irish Water has finished digging up the roads. They will be done then.
Cllr Murphy asked whether the Council has ever done a one-off cut on the grass on the right hand side going up to Maulbaun, with the GAA looking after it thereafter. The AE said that to the best of her knowledge that in her time, the Council has never cut the grass there. They will not be doing more cutting of general areas than they have already committed to.